Muggle for Christmas
by kaydi
Summary: sirius and co. have their last christmas together, and have many many people over for dinner.


Muggles for Christmas

Muggles for Christmas 

I know people, I know. I haven't uploaded for a while, but I am working on it. school just takes up a lot of time andI've had other stories to work on as well. But I am working on it, I promise. This is just somethingI've had for a while. I know it's not Christmas, buthey, it's hot. 

I just wanna sayhey to stephie. Long time no talk. E-mail me. And also look out for new stories by my best friends, SaraBeth and Carlie. And one bigone from us all. 

Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and many others don't belong to me, but some others do. 

Sorry, but I have to go before Sara Beth falls over the balcony on the stairs. And Carlie makes her cry. 

"It has to be perfect." Lily announced to her audience. "If you want to make a good impression." A snort interrupted her.She gazed out at the small group in the living room.Of the seven people in the room, only three including her were currently awake.Peter, the source of the snoring, was curled up on the rug beside her chair, snoozing away.Remus's head hung on Addi's shoulder and she gave Lily a sorry look.Sirius's head was in Mari's lap, where she was gently tapping on his face to wake him up. It wasn't working. And James had drifted off in his armchair.Lily grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. It hit him square in the face. 

"Ow!" he cried, startling everyone out of their dozing, all but Sirius. 

"People, this is serious." Lily groaned.

"We know who Sirius is. We've known him since we were eleven, Lil." Remus said with a sleepy grin.

"What?" Sirius raised his head and looked around.

"Nothing dear. Go back to sleep." Mari told him. He mumbled something and returned to his previous position. 

"No way, you have got to get up, Sirius. I mean it!"Sirius groaned, but pulled himself into a sitting position. 

"Look, people. Do you want this night to be a total disaster? Sirius, do you want Mari's parents to like you? James do you want my parents to like you?"

"They already love me."

"People we need to be." She stopped herself. "I mean this is important. It's Christmas dinner. And I promise you, muggles love their Christmas dinner more than anything.'

"Amen." Addi said, receiving a pillow in the face from her still sleepy non-muggle brother.

Lily groaned and threw her hands in the air. James sighed, got out of his chair, and walked over to her, running his hands through his permanently messy hair.

"I know, Lily. We all do.And we're sorry. It's just been so busy lately, and two days ago was the full moon and last night we had an attack on a muggle family. And we just haven't gotten that much sleep lately."

"I know." She said eyeing his latest wounds, a deep cut on his arm. Sirius, Remus, and Peter hadn't come out unharmed either.Remus had a nasty bang on the head; he really shouldn't have been out there only one day after the full moon. Peter had broken his arms falling down the stairs on the way home, she couldn't see how. And Sirius had been on the receiving end of the Cruciatus Curse; he shouldn't even really be out of bed. But they were all so stubborn, insisting that they were fine.

"Look. I just want this to be perfect." She sighed. James smiled at her and pulled her into his arms.Mari smiled up at Sirius and he grinned sleepily back. 

"It will be. Don't you worry, Lil. The marauders are on the job." Sirius said.Lily smiled at her friend from the comfort of her husband's embrace. 

Slowly the remaining members of the group began to wake up, and Lily sent them off to do their jobs. Mari and Sirius, she sent to get the tree as that would be the safest job and keep Sirius away from the food. Addi and Remus were sent for the food and Peter was sent to mail the invitations to Dumbledore, Mari's parents, the Lupins, and her own parents, unfortunately her sister Petunia and her familytoo. James was forced to help unpack the decorations from the attic.There were about seven boxes or so of heavy fragile ornaments.

"I don't see why the guys couldn't have stayed and helped." He said after maybe the fifth or sixth box.

"Because we have one day to get this place as perfect as we can. I want to make a good impression especially onMari's parents."

"Yeah, Sirius told me. They still aren't very happy with the result of their last visit."

"Well, it would be a big surprise if you came to visit your daughter and found her married."

"True and to Sirius no less."

James grinned. He leaned over to kiss his wife.Just then a baby's cry flew down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"I was wondering how long he was going to sleep." Lily sighed. Shewent into the bedroom. James followed her. Their baby, little Harry sat wailing in his crib.Lily picked him up and slowly rocked him.He quieted and lay, content, in his mothers arms. James watched with a smile. 

"How much food do you people need?" Remus groaned as he lifted the huge turkey into the shopping cart.

"Well, there's you, me, Sirius, James, Lily, Mari, Peter, Dumbledore, Mari's parents, your parents, Lily's parents, Lily's sister, her husband and son.That's eighteen."

"You forgot Harry."

"Oh my, I did. How could I forget that sweet innocent baby?"

"He won't be so innocent if he turned out anything like his father." Remus grinned.

"Well, neither will our children, if we ever get around to getting married." Remus noticed a slight bitter tone in her voice.

"Hey," he said wrapping his arms around her. "We promised we would.You know that things are just very complicated now.Very dangerous."

"But Lily and James got married. So did Sirius and Mari."

"I know. " Remus said. "Look it doesn't mean I love you any less. I've loved you since the first time I saw you."

"Remus, you were twelve."

"So?"

"You put a snake in my bed."

"That was Sirius's idea, not mine."

"Everything is either Sirius or James's idea."

"Yeah, well, it is."

"Look, Addi. We will get married. Someday soon."

"But when Remus? Someday I want to have a family. And we Blacks don't have a reputation for living very long.I can't wait for you forever."

Remus stared at her, his eyes hurt. "Fine." He said, quietly. He turned away from her and pushed the cart up the aisle.Addi mentally smacked herself.That didn't help so shedid it physically.

How could she be so cruel? Remus was her life, he meant everything to her. Without him, there was almost nothing. Nothing but Sirius.He was the last family she had, and his friends had accepted her into their lives as a friend, no questions asked.But Remus had gone a step farther. He had pulled her into his heart, he hadconfessed to her his secret. His deepest darkest secret.And she loved him all the more for it. 

"Remus." She called. He turned and reached out for the bread that was on the shelf.

"I'm sorry. " she said, running up to him. " I know you love me and I love you. More than anything." He smiled, his tired gray eyes drinking her in. she pulled him close and they stood there for a long time. Just holding each other.Then finally they pulled apart.

"We should get this stuff home before the ice cream melts and Lily has a fit." Remus said. Addi nodded and took his arms. They shared secret smiles as they pushed the cart to the check out line.

"How about this one?" Sirius asked for the fiftieth time.

"Too small." Mari said.She absentmindedly rubbed her growing belly. 

"You alright?" Sirius asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little sore."

"You sure?" 

"Yes!" She said exasperatedly at her husband. Then she softened as he turned away, hurt.

"I'm sorry." She said softly, he smiled down at her.And arm and arm they continued through the forest.

"Sohow about that one over there?" Sirius asked, pointing to what he thought was a perfectly good tree.

"Not enough branches at the bottom." Sirius groaned. His head ached and he felt slightly shaky. The after-effects of last night. But he pushed them aside. No need to worry his perfect little wife over nothing.He pulled his coat tighter around himself to block out the cold.

Mari, on the other hand, was not blind. She could see very well, through her husband'scharade of being perfectly fine.She saw how he was shivering and shaking.But once his mind was made up, there was no stopping him.She shook her head.She should be the one asking if he was okay. 

"So when are your parents coming?" he asked, breaking through her thoughts. 

"Tonight." She said. "We have to pick them up from the train station. They're coming in from Shannon. "

"Planes. " he made a face. "Insane, I say."

"I thought you were raised a muggle." She said.

"I was. Makes me appreciate being magic all the more." She pushed him and he grinned down at her. Butthen they were silent again.

"So what do you think they'll say when they see you?" he asked.

"I dunno. I wrote and told them when I found out.And mum wrote back saying she was very glad, but I never heard anything from da. I think he's still mad at me for what happened last time."

Sirius nodded, for once living up to his name. 

"It wasn't my fault the death eaters decided to pick that night of all nights to attack." He grumbled.

"I know."

"I get the feeling your father doesn't like me very much."

Mari hesitated. It was true, he had told her as much when she dropped them off at the airport four month's ago. 

"Well, it's too late for him to do anything. We're married and I love you, so there."

Sirius was quiet.He flopped down on the snow-covered ground and leaned against a tree. At the moment a million things ran through his head.Everythingthat he had ever wanted, he had.A wife, a child, his friends. But it was always around this time of year that his feelings of loneliness and fear grew.It was two days after new years that his mother had died, Christmas eve when his father was killed, and Christmas morning when Erin had been murdered. True nothing had happened last year and he prayed nothing would happen this year, butthere was a deep nagging feeling in his gut.

"Sirius, what's wrong?" Mari asked, clumsily sitting down next to him. 

He said nothing, but sat, his face in his hands.Mari reached up to smooth his long black hair out of his face when she felt a sharp jolt in her stomach.

"Sirius." She whispered.He glanced up at her. Gently, she took his hand and placed it over her stomach where the baby was kicking. A look of pure amazement spread over his face as he felt the life within. 

"The baby's kicking." He whispered.She smiled up at him and nodded.

" she's saying hello to her da."

"She?" Sirius asked. "How do you know it'll be a girl?"

"I just know." She said smiling at him. Sirius grinned back and leaned back against the tree. Mari curled up next to him. Just then hefrowned and got up.   
"What is it?" she asked. He looked down at her.

"What do you think of this one?" he said, pointing at the tree thatthey had been sitting against. She grinned.

"I think its perfect." Sirius smiled back and pulled out the ax he had brought. He proceeded to cut the tree down and placed it on the sled he conjured.

Mari took his arms and they walked slowly back to the house, pulling the tree behind them. 

Peter sighed as he watched his friends return. James and Lily wereputting up the decorations. Peter had been charged with watching Harry, who, at almost five months, was quite feisty. 

First Addi and Remus returned, making several trips before they managed to carry everything in. then Sirius and Mari returned sporting a huge and beautiful tree. They all looked so happy. Peterfrowned as a burning flickered in him as he watched Sirius and Mari place mistletoe up in every doorway and Sirius decided thatevery few seconds he would pull his lovely wife under thelittle planet for no reason. The others thought this was quite hilarious, all but Peter.Not for the first time, he wondered how his friends could be so blind. They so nothing but themselves. They never once stopped to think about him. 

Never.But he'd show them.Now it was him that had the power. But they didn't know that. No one did. 

"Sirius, that is the sixth time in fifteen minutes you've pulled Mari under that stupid plant. Let her catch her breath!" Addiprotested. 

"I didn't see you complaining when Remus did the same thing." Sirius shouted from the kitchen where he had beenrecruited to help Lily, Addi, and Mari with the cooking. Remuswas helping with the pies.If anything, Remus was the best cook out of the four boys.Sirius on the other hand had been know to burn soup.(a.n. and yes this is possible. Trust me. I've done it.) James was making some last minute decorations and Peter was watching Harry since there was not much more he could do.Just then Mari glanced at her watch.

"It's four. We better go if we're going to pick everyone up on time."

"Oh, yeah, Dumbledore owled. He's getting here on his own." James called. 

"Then that only leaves the Evens, the Lupins and the O' Connell's. "said Peter.

"You forgot the Durslys." Lily said, rather grudgingly

"Don't worry. Remus's van can fit everyone. We've been working on it."

The girls shook their heads. There wasn't much more they could do with Sirius's motorcycle and the boys had moved on to James'sstation wagon and Remus's van. 

Sirius and James were the ones who had to pick everyone up.They left and made their way to their first stop.The train station.It turned out the Lupins train had been early so they were waiting for them when they arrived.Mr. And Mrs. Lupin greeted Sirius and James warmly like their own sons.

It was just then when the Evens'sarrived. They too, loved the wizarding world, and welcomed by the rest. The O'Connell's' were later as they had the farthest to go. Mrs. O'Connell smiled warmly at Sirius and the others, but Mr. O'Connell didn't. He frowned at Sirius and James and the other families. But the worst was yet to come. The Durslys. 

Petuniasauntered off the train. Vernonleft the baggage to Sirius and James to carry to the van. Bothglared but didn't complain. 

The van, which was magically expanded to holdboth the amount of people and luggagewas greatly frowned upon bythe Durslys.And most of the way, the other passengers had to suffer through Petunia's complaining,and Vernon's growling. Sirius, who was driving felt the urge many times to drive off a cliff, just to make them shut up. But he figured it would not hold very well with his in-laws, so he resisted. 

It was about an hour, but seemed like days when they pulled up in front of the small Tudor house that was James and Lily's.Sirius and James piled everyone out of the car and burst in, grinning.The house smelled wonderful, a mix ofchicken and cookies and pie.Sirius breathed a long breath before he was attacked by a small child who instantly attached himself to his godfathers' leg. Sirius laughed and scooped up Harry who hid his face in his shirt, hiding from the large amount of people. He came out of his hiding place, however, when he spotted both his grandparents andthe Lupins. Both had visited before and spoiled the boy to death. He saw the Durslys and hid again. 

Sirius laughed and handed the little boy to his mother who greeted her guests with enthusiasm, as she did until she got to Petunia and Vernon. 

"Petunia."

"Lily. Next time you send someone to pick us up, could you be so kind as to make sure he knows how to drive?" she said, glaring at Sirius. Sirius glared right back, until Mari took him by the hand andshoved him in the direction of the kitchen. Then, hermoody husband out of the way, she turned to her parents.She watched out of the corner of her eye, Remus and Addi, being embraced by his parents. She pulled on her "happy face" as Sirius called it and smiled at her parents. Her mother smiled back at her and pulled her into a hug. 

"Hello, Marianna. How are you?"

"We're fine, mum. Just fine. Very happy."

"That's good. So tell me, how are you doing?" she said looking down at Mari's belly.

Mari grinned. "Six months. Sirius couldn't be happier, or more worried. I'm not allowed to do anything too dangerous." She grinned.

"True, but neither was I until Harry was born and James has yet tosay I can go back to work. Even if I wanted to." Lily said grinned at Mari. Their mothers laughed. 

"Your father was the same way, so nervous about being a father. "

"I can tell, Sirius tries to be all macho and protecting, but I can see he's scared to death." Mari said. 

It was then she turned her attention to her father.

"Da."

"Marianna." He said, stiffly. He had never really forgiven her or Sirius for marrying. 

"How have you been?" she asked. He shrugged.

"I suppose you haven't' realized your mistake yet. "

Mari sighed. Please da, she begged silently, don't do this now.James and Remus will pound you before you insult their friend. Even if you are my father. 

"Look da, I asked you to come because I want you to be a part of my life. Our lives.We want our children to at least know one set of grandparents. "

he said nothing, but glared at Sirius who was reentering witha plate of steaming drinks for the new comers. 

"Tea, your majesties" he called as he set it on the coffee table. James, Remus, Lily, Addi, and Peter appeared behind him. They grinned.Everyone took cup, all but the Durlsys and Mr. O' Connell, who looked dubiously at the steaming mugs.They sat around, trading stories, untilsuddenly a blazing fire roared up in the fireplace. 

Dumbeldore stepped out of the flames and was instantly greeted warmly by those still on the floor.Namely everyone but, the Evens, the o' Connell's, and the Durslys. After thing cooled down a bit Lily announced that dinner was ready. 

Thecompany settled around the table, which had been magically expanded to fit such a large crowd. 

After a quick prayer, they dove in.Mari, Addi, and Lily always wondered howtheir boys could fit so much food into their stomachs without exploding.And Addi asked this as she watched Sirius pilefood onto his plate. Sirius, Remus, and Jamesgrinned.

"Oh, WE won't explode tonight." Sirius said laughing mysteriously. Mari groaned. 

"Oh god, what have you done now?" she received innocent, who us? Look from all four marauders, which only managed to convince all the girls that they had indeed done something.

"No one touch anything!" Lily ordered.Everyone stopped eating, much to the marauders disappointment.They all looked at Lily.

"Now we are not going to start again until you say what you did." None of the boys said anything. Lily sighed.

"Peter, I'll give you an extra cookie if you tell me."

"Hey that's not fair!" Sirius cried.

"What kind?" Peter asked. 

"I do not believe this.It's a cookie for Christ's sake!" James said.

"Chocolate chip." Addi said.

"Don't touch the pudding." Peter said, grabbing the offered cookie.

"Listen well people, here is a man who would betray his friends for a cookie." Remus said, shaking his head. 

"I'm hungry! And Mari makes great cookies!" Peter protested.

"Thank you, Peter." She said, glaring pointedly at Sirius.

"Mwha?" Sirius said, his mouth full of food.They laughed and resumed eating. Everyone was careful to stay far away from the pudding, much to the disappointment of the marauders and they spent the rest of the meal shooting evil glares at Peter who shrugged back. 

Soon the meal was finished and they sat around, making small chit chat as no one wanted to do the dishes.Finally Mari, Addi, and Lily commissioned Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter to do the dishes. The boys complied, grumbling. 

The rest of the party moved to the living room where they listened to the shouts and splashing coming from the kitchen. When the boys returned they were all either soaked or covered in soapsuds. 

"I like the new look, Sirius." Mari said.

"Shut up." He grumbled, sitting down next to her. " Thank you ever so much, Prongs!" he said, waving his wand and getting rid of the bubbles in his hair.Mari smiled at him and leaned against him. 

"Welcome, Padfoot." James replied who was also covered in foam and took his placenext to Lily. Remus grinned up from his new spot by the fireand next to Addi. 

Peter looks lonely. Mari thought. But her thoughts were interrupted by her husband.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"yes. Just thinking." She whispered back. He smiled at her. 

"I love you."

"I love you too." She whispered. He grinned and turned to look at the fire.

Sirius gazed at the fire. Maybe this Christmas would be okay.Maybe nothing would happen.Christmas's were not lucky for him. Even last year they had been called away in the middleof dinner. That had resulted in three dead aurors and two dead muggles.But maybe this time it would be different.Maybe he could be safe and sound just this one year. Please he prayed silently, just this one year, let me spend it with my family.It seemed his prayers would be answered as a feeling of calm and serenity floated over him. He dozed a bit.

Flash!

A scream! Lily's voice! James's voice shouting a warning!

Flash!

A baby crying! Harry!

Flash!

Betrayal!James and Lily lying on the ground, dead!

Flash!

An explosion and a high-pitched laugh! A green light filled his vision, blocking out everything else.

Sirius jerked up gasping. He opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him.He leaned back, his hand over his heart. He stared around taking in both James and Lily's face and Harry's to make sure they were still there.

"Sirius? Are you alright?" James asked.

'Yeah, sure. I'm fine, Prongs."

"What happened?" Mari asked.

"I drifted off. It's nothing." He whispered. Mari frowned and gave him a worried look, while James and Remus exchanged glances. 

"Hey, Padfoot. Can we talk to you for a second?" Remus asked.

Sirius groaned and got to his feet. The three of them slipped into the kitchen.

"You didn't forget?" Remus said.

"Forget?" Sirius asked, scratching his head.

"Padfoot! How could you forget? Our Christmas prank?"

"Oh yeah! The one that's supposed to make Lily flip." Sirius said, grinning.

"Guys? Can I help?" Peter said, from the doorway.

"No, Peter. You have to distract them and keep everyone in there, remember?"

"Yeah." Peter said, turning away. 

"Are we ready?"Remus asked. His best friends reached into their robes and pulled out their wands, grinning evil marauder grins. Sirius quickly forgot his dream in the excitement of what was about to happen. Lily, Addi, and Mari were going to flip.

"Ready as ever, Moony." Sirius cackled.

" We go on my count. One… two… three!"Three white strands burst out of the ends of their wands.They hung in the air and then faded. They smiled satisfied and returned to the living room, carrying plates of cookies under pretense that this had been their mission the whole time. 

The others helped themselves, all but the Durlsys who had refused to eat anything Sirius offered them after the last Thanksgiving they had experienced with the four marauders. 

They sat around, satisfied and full.

"It's getting late and we should probably get some sleep." Mr. Lupin said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Alright. We'll be along in a bit." Remus said.Dumbledore, Mr. And Mrs. Lupin, Mr. and Mrs. Even's, and Mr. And Mrs. O 'Connell bid them good night. The Durlsys marched out without a word and Sirius stuck his tongue out at their retreating backs. 

He received a smack from Mari. 

Lily shivered with cold as she waved.then theremaining eight went back inside. 

"No! No!" Harry cried. (a/n this is how my little nephew said snow when he was about that old.)

"What on earth!"

"Snow!" Lily cried. Sure enough big white flakes were falling in the living room, covering everything with a thick white blanket.Lily couldn't miss the delighted looks on the faces of her husband and his friends. 

"James!" she shouted, but got little more than that out, since she was hit with a large snowball about that time. 

James in turn was hit by Sirius, who was hit by Remus who was hit by Addi who was hit by Mari who was hit by Lily, who was hit by Harry and the pattern continued until an all out snowball fight had taken place in the Potter's living room.James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Harry on one side. Lily, Mari, and Addi on the other. Needless to say the boys were greatly outnumbered and had to resort to trickery to win. Well, not really but they did anyway.

"James, that's not fair!"

"Why not?" James shouted from behind the chair he was using for cover. 

"You can't enchant the snowballs to follow just one person around!" Lily shouted back as she tossed one at her husband, missed and hit Sirius.

"Hey!"

"Alright!" James agreed. He then, enchanted snowballs to follow everyone around.Soon they were too busy ducking to throw anymore and James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were rolling on the ground in hysterics. 

They were ambushed however, when Lily preformed the counter curse and the boys were covered in snow. It was a much more tired crowd that relaxed in the snow-covered armchairs an hour later.Remus and Addi sat close to the fire on the floor.James and Lily sat snuggled on the couch, a sleeping Harry cuddled in their arms. Sirius sat in the armchair with Mari on his lap. He ran his hand over her growing belly and smiled down at her. She lay her head on his shoulder.

He looks perfectly happy. We all do. James thought.He sighed. It was getting late.

"it's getting late. And certain little ones don't wantsome fat man with presents to pass them by, do they?" Lily said, meaning Harry.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry.Sirius will get over it." James replied. He was then hit by a small cushion thrown by his best friend.

"hey I was using that." Remus said.

"For what?" Sirius asked. 

"I was sleeping."

"That's what my sister is for." He replied. Addi glared at him.

"James is right. We should be getting home." Mari said. 

"But I don't wanna go." Sirius pouted. 

"honestly, I don't know who is worse.You or this little one.' She groaned pointing to her stomach. 

"You're lucky. He used to coming bouncing into dad's room at five AM." Addi said from her position in Remus's lap. 

"I do recall a certain someone bouncing right along with me." Sirius said grinning.

"Only because you made it impossible to sleep."

Sirius laughed and gave his twin a quick hug that turned into a wrestling match. 

"Sirius!" Addi cried, from the headlockhe had her in. 

"That's my girlfriend, Padfoot!" 

"I know, Moony." Sirius said. He let go of Addi whotried to glare at him but failed.She began to laugh too. 

Soon everyone was laughing.

Mari, Addiand Lily spoke softly. James pulled Sirius aside. Remus followed them.

"Padfoot, I've wanted to talk to you. Dumbledore said I should."

"About what, Prongs?" Sirius asked, though he had a feeling it had something to do with what had happened earlier that night.

"Padfoot, what happened earlier?When you woke up?"

"I just had a weird dream, that's all Prongs. It's alright." James looked doubtful, but Sirius'sglare told him to drop it. 

"We will never be able to leave if we don't get going now, Remus." Addi said. Remus nodded.

"merry Christmas, guy. We'll see ya tomorrow."

With a quick hug, Remus and Addi headed home. Peter followed them.Sirius and Mari knew that they would have to follow soon.

'See ya tomorrow, Prongs." Sirius said. 

"Don't you open any presents without us."Mari warned.

"I don't know about that," Lily answered. "after all, I do have two little boys."

"I know what you mean. I hid ours." Mari said. "And Sirius alone is just as bad as both James and Harry."

"Hey!" both indignant husbands called. 

The girls laughed and gave each other quick hugs. 

"hey, Padfoot before you go, I wanna give you something." James said. 

"What?" Sirius said.

"I found this last week. I think you may want it." He said, pulling out something small and wrapped.Sirius took it and unwrapped it. He held it out in front of him, his hands shaking.It was a small leather bound book. Inscribed on the cover was the nameFiona Dumbledore- Black.

"Where did you find this?" Sirius said. 

"It was in a bunch of old junk my dad had.I was pulling out a box of decorations when this fell out." Sirius smiled at his old friend.

"Thanks man."

"hey no prob. Just think of it as an early present."

"Sirius!" Mari called from thebike.

"I gotta go, but I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Bye!" James called. Lily, and James stood in the doorway of their home. Lily made Harry wave goodbye to his godfather. 

Sirius, slipped the book into his jacket carefully,pulled on his helmet, handed Mari hers, and climbed on his bike, his little wife getting on behind him.Sirius revved up the motor. And then just at the last minute, something made him turn. He watched his friend's smile and wave at him.For one moment hegrasped a picture of a ruined home, a baby's cry anda flash of green light. He shook his head.It's Christmas, Black. Geta hold of yourself. Divination was never your strong point anyway.

"Sirius?" Mari asked. He turned to look at her. Her face was full of worry.

He grinned down at her. 

"Hold on." Then he sped off into the darkness.

James shivered as he watched his best friend speed off.Something told him to hang on to his time.Deep inside him he knew that the peace wouldn't last.Perhaps he even had an idea of what was too happen all those months later. If he did he never showed it.

But that night, all four marauders lay in their respective beds,each with thoughts on his mind.Each somehow knowingthat tomorrowwas to be a day of celebration and that they mustspend this one together, they must hang on to the memories they would share on that day forever, because perhaps each one knew that it would the last Christmasthe marauders would ever have together. Perhaps they saw the tragedy that would occur in their lives. Perhaps they simply knew something was going to happen. And perhaps they were remembering all those who had gone before them and all those who would go after. And maybe, just maybe, theywere looking for some kind of peace that lay just out of reach. 


End file.
